2018 Vauxhall Grandland X 2.0 Turbo D Ultimate – verdict, price, specs and release date

The Ultimate model may be the quickest, most powerful and best-equipped Grandland X yet, but it’s not the one we’d choose.

For £34,040, it’s more expensive than most of its SUV rivals; and while you get a lot of kit, you don’t get four-wheel drive and it doesn’t offer enough additional pace to compensate for the higher asking price. If you want a frugal Grandland X with decent real-world performance, it’s worth bearing in mind that the turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol model offers similar performance but costs £11,525 less (in our favourite Tech Line Nav trim).

Indeed, if you go for Tech Line Nav trim, you still get a host of desirable features including that 8.0in touchscreen with built-in satellite navigation, front parking sensors, a powered tailgate, keyless entry and start and plenty of safety kit, such as automatic emergency braking, lane assist and blindspot monitoring. And if you really fancy the Ultimate model’s Denon hi-fi and wireless charging, you can fit them as reasonably priced options (£535 for the former and £160 for the latter).

Ultimately (excuse the pun), the cheaper Grandland Xs are well priced enough to negate this top-of-the-range model.

What Car? says...

Rated 2 out of 5

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Rivals:

Skoda Karoq

Renault Kadjar

2018 Vauxhall Grandland X 2.0 Turbo D Ultimate

Price £34,040 Engine 4cyl, 1997cc, diesel Power 174.5bhp at 3750rpm Torque 295lb ft at 2000rpm Gearbox 8-spd automatic 0-62mph 9.1sec Top speed 133mph Official economy 57.6mpg CO2, tax band 128g/km, 30%

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